1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a female connector element designed for removably joining ducts through which a pressurized fluid flows and a connector comprising such a female element and a smooth cylindrically terminated male element.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
It is a known practice to removably connect a smooth cylindrically terminated male element, such as a tube, to a duct through which a pressurized fluid flows with the aid of a female connector element provided with sealing means. In particular, such a female element conventionally comprises an O-ring seal, placed in an internal groove of the female element and chosen with an internal diameter at rest that is slightly less than the external diameter of the tube, in order to seal the connection. When the tube is inserted into the body of the female element, the seal is forced by the end of the tube until a sufficient radial expansion of the seal is obtained to allow the tube to pass. The interaction between the end of the tube and the seal causes a rapid deterioration of the seal that is also helped by the presence of protruding irregularities on the surface of the tube, resulting for example from its sectioning. The sealing property and the service life of the seal are then substantially reduced, which causes a risk of leakage during connections and requires frequent replacements of the seal.
It is these disadvantages that the invention is intended most particularly to alleviate by proposing a female connector element allowing a sealed connection of a tube and a duct through which a pressurized fluid flows, without deterioration of the sealing means.